This invention relates to a golf club gripping device for one-armed limited human beings.
Originally, as a physically disadvantaged individual, I chose to begin playing golf as a way to help rehabilitate myself following a stroke. In my attempt to locate a suitable device to assist me in grasping golf club handle with one hand, I found that nothing existed. Being a retired designer, I again chose to design and build my own device.
In doing patent searches for a like device, my boolean text search netted 20 documents of which I found only two that seemed somewhat related to my invention. The first of these two, U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,950 to Parker (1980), is a grip assist apparatus for weight lifters, but seems ill-suited for gripping a golf club handle due to a lack of a clib shaft support member.
The second patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,930 to Gibson (1995) does provide a club shaft support member, but requires the user of the device to submit to one of two conditions:
(a) The inconvience of the removal and replacement of the device if choosing a different numbered club during play or
(b) The added cost of the convience of providing for a full set of the devices for each club in the bag.
In each case, there is either an extra expense of time or money, plus the assumption that two hands are still to be used in gripping the club handle.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:
(a) To provide a grip assist device which can simulate a two handed grip for a golfing person who only has the use of one hand.
(b) To provide a grip assist device which will permit fast and easy changing of club selection without the burden of additional adapters.
(c) To provide a grip assist device which can be self applied by the wearer.
(d) To provide a grip assist device that is lightweight and durable.
Further objects and advantages are to provide a grip assist device which supplies additional compressional force inside the shaft tube whereby stabilizing any wobbling motion of the golf club shaft within the shaft tube.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerations of the ensuing description and drawings.